Disable Smilies in This Post. Show Signature: include your profile signature. Only registered users may have signatures.

*If HTML and/or UBB Code are enabled, this means you can use HTML and/or UBB Code in your message.

If you have previously registered, but forgotten your password, click here.

T O P I C R E V I E W

thisisajob

I acquired a big set of flown collectibles from an awards store in Houston. They have been responsible for years for creating the matted presentations we have seen and are often on eBay. The beauty of these pieces is that they were not affixed to presentations with employee names on them.

The complete list is six Mir Flags, one International Space Station flag and one Apollo 11 25 year anniversary flag.

I am going to include one full color flown FGB mission sticker and one gold embossed FGB flown sticker with each flag. The following prices include free shipping. Let me know if you have any questions!

ISS Flag w/2 FGB stickers - $200 FREE SHIPPING

Apollo 11 Flag w/2 FGB stickers - $200 FREE SHIPPING

Mir Flag w/2 FGB stickers - $150 FREE SHIPPING

I will include a COA for the FGB items signed by the FGB Deputy Manager and a signed letter from the awards store as proof of lineage.

AJ

Sent you an email!

garyd2831

The only issue that I would have with these flags is there is no physical proof attached to them that would show that they were flown. Meaning, without being mounted to a presentation with the accompanying statement of mission dates and mission number for the flag, the proof falls into the words of the individual claiming their flown status. To me, they would be some typical 4x6 inch flags that I picked up some place and claimed that they were flown.

What do others think?

thisisajob

Well the FGB stickers aren't attached to anything but since the COA is signed by the FGB Deputy Manager I know that's acceptable. The flags were delivered to this company by NASA for attachment to the presentation boards they print. As a matter of fact they were given one of the MIR presentation boards for their efforts as a thank you. As someone who cares about his reputation, I wouldn't have messed with these if I wasn't absolutely sure of their authenticity.

schnappsicle

Pardon my assumption, but I don't believe Gary or anyone else here is questioning the authenticity of these flags. Still, Gary makes a very valid point. The problem comes when the buyer tries to sell them in the future. The strength of the proof offered here is based solely on trust, without any concrete connection between the COA and the items themselves. What proof does the future buyer (not the person buying them now, but years down the road) have other than the word and reputation of someone he's probably never heard of? Unless the flags are signed as flown by an astronaut who carried these flags into space, they're going to be a very hard sell down the road.

spaced out

quote:Originally posted by thisisajob:... The flags were delivered to this company by NASA for attachment to the presentation boards they print....

It's not quite clear to me how these flags ended up being the legal property of the original seller. At what point did they cease to be NASA property?

TRS

I agree with the question — I obtained two of the Apollo 11 flown flags as part of a trade for other items I wanted in the pack. The seller (not the person initiating this thread) was an ex-NASA employee, but with no COA or anything else to indicate status, it's a hard call to prove the flags were part of the flown batch. Which raises a question — does anyone know whether all of the presentation style flags were flown or were there unflown examples as well?

thisisajob

At Robert's advise I went over to the store and talked to the owner. She provided a lot of useful information.

The flags were brought to her office by NASA in a crate marked with a sticker indicating flown items. Their job was to apply an adhesive patch to the back that had a peel off strip which NASA would pull off when they were to be attached to the presentation piece.

They were give the crate and told to prepare 70,000 flags in that manner which they did and delivered the product to NASA. The extra ones in the crate were in case any errors were made or any were damaged.

The left over were put into a box and put aside - these are those flags. The ISS and Apollo 11 flags were given to her by the JSC Astronaut Office years ago.

Hope that clarifies things. The letter that accompanies the flag will state the above and will be signed by the owner.

onesmallstep

Will the letter/COA include which Shuttle flight/Orbiter it was flown aboard?

thisisajob

Yes it will.

albatron

70,000 flown flags? Wow.

thisisajob

Yes - apparently all the employees and contractors - she said they worked on nothing else for most of the week to complete the job.

thisisajob

Anyone interested in the Apollo 11 flag, I am going to throw in a Miller Apollo Stein - really cool with three images around it including the Saturn V, the astronauts and the LEM. E-mail if you would like a picture of it! Oh, two of the Mir flags are gone.

thisisajob

Two of the MIR Flags now gone - any other interest?

BrianB

My Mir flag arrived today, very well packaged. Thanks very much.

thisisajob

Update - two MIR flags sold so far - we have three left as well as the ISS and Apollo 11 ones.

thisisajob

Apollo flag now sold - just the last 3 MIR flags and the ISS flag - lowering price on the remaining pieces to 150.